Tisha B'Av: Waking Up to a World without God's Presence

How to bring God's palpable presence back into our world.

I remember with perfect clarity the sensation of waking up on the morning of March 9, 1990. In those first few fuzzy moments of consciousness, I oriented myself to where I was – in the spare bedroom of my parents' New Jersey apartment, and what day it was – two days after my father's death. As soon as I realized that I had woken up into a world without my father, my heart plunged into a fathomless grief, like waking up into a nightmare that will never end.

The world without my father was not simply the same world minus one; it was a totally different world. This altered, diminished world lacked the stability and goodness that was my father. This world wobbled on its axis; its gravitational pull was heavier.

It took me a year to adapt to this new world, to learn to navigate its emotional byways. Now, more than fifteen years later, I've become proficient at maneuvering in this World-Without-My-Father, but it is not and will never be the same world in which he was so benevolently and lovingly present.

The destruction of the Temple was a loss as real and as searing as death.

The ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av – called Tisha B'Av – is to the Jewish people what March 9 was to me. We misrepresent the tragedy of the day by describing it as the destruction of the two Holy Temples, as if the catastrophe is the loss of a building. The American people do not mourn on 9/11 because of the destruction of the Twin Towers; they mourn the thousands of lives lost in the conflagration. Contrast a person who mourns the absence of the majestic towers to the New York skyline with a person who mourns the loss of his/her parents caught on the 98th floor.

Tisha B'Av is more like a death than a destruction, because on that day the world changed irrevocably.

The world without the Holy Temple is not the same world minus one magnificent structure. The world without the Holy Temple is a totally different world. The Holy Temple was the mystical vortex between the higher, spiritual worlds and this gross, physical world. The Temple service was an elaborate mystical procedure that kept the aperture between the worlds open and functioning. The Divine Presence manifested itself in the Temple and through the Temple. When the Temple was destroyed, that palpable Divine Presence removed itself from our world. It was a loss as real and as searing as death.

My son was born into a world without my father. He will never know how the room lit up when my father entered, how secure and supported dozens of people felt because of the bedrock that was my father.

In the same way, we who were born into a world without the Divine Presence have never experienced the spiritual luminosity that radiated through the aperture of the Holy Temple. We live in a dimmer, coarser world, where physical reality seems like ultimate truth while spiritual reality seems like a vague phantasm. We navigate in the nightmare without even knowing we're in it.

Divine Immanence

In the first Holy Temple, ten miracles were constant for all to see. Among them were that no matter how the wind was blowing, the smoke from the altar always went straight up and that no matter how packed the crowds of people were, at the point of the service that required everyone to prostrate, there was always sufficient room. Anyone who visited the Temple could see these miracles, these deviations in the laws of physics, simply by entering the Temple precincts.

While the First Temple (and the Tabernacle before it) stood, prophecy (hearing the voice of God within oneself) was commonplace. The Talmud testifies that in ancient Israel, some 3,000,000 Jews were privy to the highest spiritual level possible. Schools of prophets abounded. So rampant was Divine revelation that the Talmud could assert that all Jews were either prophets or the children of prophets.

We are like amnesiacs who experience fleeting memories of a different life, but the grasping of it eludes us.

The immanence of the Divine Presence during Temple times did not mean that everyone chose spiritual elevation. Even when God is present, humans can – and did – choose to go against Him. The Talmud recounts the story of Yerovoam ben Navat, who, after the death of King Solomon, split the Kingdom, usurped the throne of the northern half, and set up two golden calves for worship. God appeared to Yerovoam and said, "Repent, and I and you and Ben Yishai [King David] will walk together in Paradise." Yerovoam had the gall to respond: "Who will go first?" When he heard that David would precede him, Yerovoam rejected the Divine offer. The most remarkable aspect of this conversation is that God appeared even to someone as wicked as Yerovoam. The Divine Presence during the Temple era was so pervasive and apparent that anyone who bothered to open his eyes could perceive it.

How different is the world we live in! When the Temple was destroyed, the dogged illusion of Divine absence settled over our world like a perpetual fog. In this world where Divine hiddenness has replaced Divine revelation, we grope for proofs of God's existence, like fish debating about the existence of water. We are relegated to "believing" when once we simply knew. We struggle, through prayer and meditation, to experience a momentary inkling of the Divine Presence when once we simply basked in it. We are like amnesiacs who experience vague and fleeting memories of a different life, a truer identity, but the actual grasping of it eludes us.

Tisha B'Av made orphans of us all.

Achieving The Impossible

In one essential way Tisha B'Av differs from death: the catastrophe is reversible. As Rabbi Avraham Isaac Kook declared: "The Temple was destroyed because of causeless hatred [among Jews]; it can be rebuilt only by causeless love."

"Causeless love" means loving every single Jew, no matter how much s/he differs in political or religious persuasion.

"Causeless love" means loving every single Jew, no matter how much s/he differs in political or religious persuasion. It means loving Jews at the other end of the ideological spectrum. It means abortion-rights activists loving Hasidic Jews and vice versa. It means Zionists loving anti-Zionists and post-Zionists and vice versa. It means Gush Katif settlers loving the security forces who are going to evict them from their homes and vice versa. Given that the Talmud characterizes the Jews as "the most fractious of peoples" and the daily news corroborates that description, causeless love seems like an impossible achievement.

But if someone had told me on March 9, 1990, or any day thereafter, that I could bring my father back to life by doing X, is there anything, anything, I would not have done?

If we yearn enough to bring the Divine Presence back into our world, is there anything beyond our capacity to achieve it?

A few years ago I learned how to harness the seemingly impossible to the power of yearning, and fly. It was during the peak of the Arab war of terror against Israel. I had undertaken to visit terror victims in hospital and to distribute teddy bears on behalf of Kids for Kids. A couple days after a lethal bus bombing in Haifa, my 14-year-old daughter and I visited the Mt. Carmel hospital where most of the injured – teenagers on their way home from school – were hospitalized.

I had never been to that hospital before. Clutching my list of terror victims in one hand and my bulging bag of teddy bears in the other, I accidentally stumbled into the intensive care unit. I asked a nurse, "Where is Daniel K.?" She pointed to the bed beside me. Lying prone on the bed was a thin, unmoving figure. I grabbed my daughter's hand and quickly exited, but the specter of that boy, the only patient I had ever seen lying face-down, haunted me.

In the waiting room, I sat with Daniel's desperate parents. They had made aliyah from Uzbekistan a few years before. They explained that 17-year-old Daniel's lungs had been punctured in the terror attack. The doctors were not hopeful.

I promised them I would pray for "Daniel Chai" (when a person's life is in danger, a name expressing life or recovery is often added), but it was clear to all of us that nothing less than a miracle would save the boy.

There is a spiritual law in Judaism called, "mida k'neged mida," measure for measure. This means that whatever humans do, God responds to them in kind. When we want God to go beyond the laws of nature, we must go beyond our own nature. Therefore, tapping into this spiritual law, I suggested to Daniel's mother that she take on a mitzvah she had not previously done to help save her son's life, and I left the hospital planning to do similarly.

When my children started to bicker in the car on the long ride home, I told them that they could contribute to saving Daniel's life by overcoming their urge to fight. To my amazement, they acted like angels all the way home.

The next day, I had an argument with my husband. I walked away from him feeling hurt and rejected. I fled to my room, wanting only to distance myself from him. As I sat on the edge of my bed, I rehearsed to myself everything I had learned about life's essential choice: choosing between estrangement and oneness. I knew that the higher road would be to reconcile with my husband, or at least be open to whatever conciliatory steps he took, but my whole nature wanted to withdraw. I sat there for some ten minutes warring with myself. I knew exactly what I should do, but was as incapable of doing it as a paraplegic trying to pole-vault. Suddenly I was startled to hear myself say out loud: "I can't do it."

I answered my own voice, "Can you do it for Daniel Chai? Can you do it for that boy's life?"

When my husband came in a few minutes later, I battled my instinct to push him away, and lovingly accepted his apology. I felt like a heroine. I knew that I couldn't do it, but for Daniel's life, I did it.

[Postscript: Daniel's mother took on lighting Shabbat candles. Despite a dangerous infection that beset him that week, Daniel had a miraculous recovery.]

When I consider the prospect of all Jews truly loving each other, I hear the voice of realism saying, "We can't do it." Then I ask: Can we do it to bring the Divine Presence back into the world? Can we do it to dispel the choking fog of Divine absence? Can we do it to end all the national and personal catastrophes that ensue in a world where God is not evident?

To reverse the cataclysm of Tisha B'Av, is there anything we can't do?

Sara Yoheved Rigler’s all-encompassing online marriage program, “Choose Connection: How to Revive and Rejuvenate Your Marriage” is available to Aish.com readers at a special price. Click here for more info: http://www.jewishworkshops.com/webinars/connection/

Featured at Aish.com:

About the Author

Sara Yoheved Rigler is a popular international lecturer on subjects of Jewish spirituality. She has given lectures and workshops in Israel, England, France, South Africa, Mexico, Canada, Chile, Panama, and over 35 American cities. She is one of the most popular authors on Aish.com, world’s biggest Judaism website, and is a columnist for Ami Magazine. Sara Yoheved Rigler is the author of five best-sellers: Holy Woman; Lights from Jerusalem; Battle Plans: How to Fight the Yetzer Hara (with Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller); G-d Winked; and Heavenprints . She gives a weekly Marriage Webinar for Jewish Workshops on a spiritual approach to marriage, with hundreds of members throughout the world. She lives in the Old City of Jerusalem. Her newest book, Emunah with Love and Chicken Soup, the story of Henny Machlis, the Brooklyn-born girl who became a Jerusalem legend, was was released in November, 2016. Her website is: sararigler.com.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 84

(84)
BT Divorcee,
August 14, 2016 7:15 AM

Bereft & Passionate

What you did for your marriage and for Daniel Chai's life by forgiving, wow! Amazing. In tears reading it on tisha b'av. If more mothers and wives thought and behaved like this, IYH we'll be zoche for them to raise machiach!

(83)
Vanessa,
July 25, 2015 3:28 AM

Loving HaShem

I think its time for a new thoughtAbout us Loving Our Creator as He Loves us and seeing Him as He sees HimselfWould it not be the most loving act of kindnessTo return to HaShem the same loving care to show Him His presence is wanted and neededFor each and every act of Divine loving kindness Our Creator has bestowed upon us in our lives just because He wants to help and be with usI would like for all of us to offer Our Creator the sameTo think of those moments when we know it was HaShem's hand taking care of usZachor-Remember and open your heart to your brother and sisters for we are a FAMILY and this is Our Story written in HaShem's heartHe needs us too.

(82)
harold,
July 24, 2015 8:17 AM

Argument but examples ?

Whilst the argument is completely correct, the examples are problematic."Zionists loving anti-Zionists and post-Zionists" ??????So Jews in the concentration camp should love the Kappas ? We should love anti-Semites like Miriam Margolas ? We should love J-Street ?I can love and pray for their souls, but I can not love the human they have become.

(81)
kerry,
July 23, 2015 10:14 PM

so ture

This article is so ture, we should these kinds of acts for God.thank you

(80)
Anonymous,
July 23, 2015 7:20 PM

Well put.

(79)
raizy,
July 23, 2015 7:01 PM

Ahavat Chinam

Very inspiring article; but should also add that this causeless love for every fellow Jew (except for those who are haters of the Jewish people, H' and His holy Torah-usually these are erev rav) would bring Moshiach immediately. May we reach that point already very soon!

(78)
Ann Canada,
July 23, 2013 8:42 PM

This is wonderful, Mrs. Rigler, thank you so much for being a writer. B'H

(77)
Chanie,
July 16, 2013 4:42 PM

Another home run

Thank you Mrs. Rigler. I love all your articles. I just bought G- d Winked, and am enjoying it immensely.

(76)
Tsippprah Weil,
July 14, 2013 1:13 PM

This has had a life changing impact on me. Thank so for something apparently so simple yet so powerful

(75)
Batya,
July 13, 2013 1:21 PM

wow!

truly an amazing and inspirational article. it's so hard to conceive that there is a world beyond our physical grasp and I guess that's what makes it so hard to work on ourselves for the sake of something we don't understand. Thankyou

(74)
Stacey Solomon,
July 12, 2013 1:18 PM

Thank You from Los Angeles

My understanding, and appreciation of Tish B'av changed from your article/words of wisdom..
The metaphor of your fathers presence vs the presence of the luminosity of the holy temple was brilliant...Thank You for your meaningful contribution....

(73)
Ruth Housman,
July 11, 2013 3:14 PM

God's Edifice: "Building" Blocks

There is a mystic edifice, a building, as was the temple, as were both temples, that runs underground, and is the substrate for all stories. God wrote us into a story, and in the destruction of those sacred Temples, God moved outside, into the world in a new way, and what we became immersed in, was a story that led to the knowledge that ALL is Miracle, as God is in all things, the AWE in ALL. The Shekinah is within, that immanent presence of the Divine. It was a migration and it was planned. By God. I look at stories now and see they were and are building blocks, that lead us, inexorably and inevitably, up Jacob's Ladder to an emergent knowledge that All IS God. This is what is meant by co-written. A story with God as Master Storyteller, and we, who live and die through story, are all part of that cosmic, most beautiful story. It's not over, when, it's over. There is another way to view this. If you climb high enough, the view from the mountain, is, magnificent.

(72)
Selma Soss,
August 7, 2011 6:21 AM

We need to be reminded of "Gods Presence" with
us always, but needed moreso in these busy and
fast paced times. This was a beautiful story.

(71)
Anonymous,
August 3, 2011 4:32 PM

let's love all of life, everyone, everywhere!

we give to others what we want to receive, & in giving love, can we not expand our hearts to give to all of life, not just other Jews? Ha'Shem is love--in order for the temple/sanctuary to be alive, living & portable within us, we need to consciously be willing to give that love to everyone, everywhere without discrimination. only through love can hatred/violence/etc., be overcome. only by erasing from our vocabulary "enemy" & being willing to forgive, offer compassion/understanding, tolerance are we giving to others what we, ourselves, want & deserve to receive--Love, in all its forms.

(70)
Anonymous,
August 3, 2011 3:09 PM

Yes, the days are coming that the people will experience, in unison, the Divine Presence. They will again see and hear what the L-rd is saying and doing. But not all people will be a part of this.
It is important to call evil for what it is......just evil. There is no excuse, justification, whitewashing or accepting some watered down rendition of it. Reject it and say so. You must show that you do really know one from the other. So stick to what the L-rd has told you and don't budge. He is ALWAYS right, no matter what your little wisdom says or what the deceit of the world says.
Love is not acceptance or justification for evil. To do so is evil.

(69)
tatyana,
August 2, 2011 10:14 PM

very very important!

Thanks a lot for such an INCLUSIVE article. I wish that every Jew, no metter what their religios background is would read it. let's do it! We must LOVE each other if we want to survive. And miricles are happening all the time Baruch Hashem!

(68)
Anonymous,
August 2, 2011 3:22 PM

related shiur

Chevi Garfinkel gives an amazing shiur thats similar to the beginning of this article. its on torahanytime.com under women only shiurim. It's extremely moving , I highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to get more meaning out of the 3 weeks and Tisha B'Av.

(67)
Suzanne,
August 2, 2011 2:45 PM

Oh, I loved this article

Beautiful words, so true!

(66)
ruth housman,
August 2, 2011 2:44 PM

The Divine Presence

We call it, the "hidden face of G_d" meaning not all of us hear the Voice as they did, as you beautifully explicate, in the Temple.
And yet, something happened, and for me, I see Divinity in all faces, I see it in the trees, my flowers, the wind, what branches, on every single limb of this tree called LIFE. I see the shin in Shine.
I see it in the words. I see it in the word AV, for Father even in avenue, the road we travel. I see something within the geode we call The Word, in the Hebrew, in the English, and in traveling across Babel, as I do, I am trying to share this wonder, this ONE der, that all is truly ONE.
G_d loves games of Hide and Seek, and those who are seekers, as so beautifully explicated here, on line, will find.
I did. I found my way, and I say so will we all. And that, dear friends, is the Messianic Era, a total knowledge of AWE in ALL. That there is divinity in all things, great, in all things small.
This story is about LOVE.

(65)
Bob Horwitz,
August 2, 2011 2:23 PM

Do the right thing

The reward in life is inward..just knowing that you have
done the right thing..i.e. loving, trusting, sharing...just
doing the right things in life is self-rewarding in itself.
The feeling just knowing that you have done the right
thing is the reward..You will know is when you have done it.

(64)
Anonymous,
November 10, 2010 10:20 AM

very nice article--Thanks

very nice article-- Thanks

(63)
Anonymous,
November 10, 2010 10:20 AM

wow this is truly inspiring!

(62)
Anonymous,
November 10, 2010 10:20 AM

soooo true!

This article is so touching and real and true! If we really take to heart what you have to say, we will all become better people and revive that major loss. I am so inspired and hope to make some real life impacting changes. Thank you for your inspiring words, they really hit home.

(61)
Anonymous,
November 10, 2010 10:20 AM

this article really got to me (in a good way)

this article was so insightful, I shared it with many people, and hope they will all glean meaning from it as I did. Anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one can certainly relate.

(60)
Chaya,
November 10, 2010 10:19 AM

sometimes

Thank you. sometimes, especially today, i say to myself - what if i go the way prescribed, i start loving my fellow men, Jews, baselessly. i open myself to them and accept them as they are and truly forgive them their mistakes. then i ask myself - but who, at the end, can i trust that he/she will do it in reward? what will happen if i do this but nothing comes back, as many times before? giving without receiving is hard for a long time. sometimes one dissapointing moment is enough to crush you down for about a week. how many power will i have? and how much will G-d give me? perhaps belief, trust in G-d may be strengthened with the years. i'm young. in our everyday world, baseless love, unconditional, despite evrything, and diminishing oneselve's egoism is truly going beyond nature. i just hope it will be forgiven to me if i cannot achieve it immediately but after time that i need to gain some sort of life wisdom. your article was one step to a strong trust in Hashem and the positive idea behind 9th of Av. Thank you again.

(59)
Antonio,
November 10, 2010 10:18 AM

God's Presence is Always with us

God never leaves us. It is we who leave God. God has never left nor forsaken His people. He who foreknew His people, how can He who is omnipresent leave us? He loves his people more than we love ourselves or our loved ones. He is great! He made Eretz Yisrael to be a state again in 1948. The temple will be rebuilt in Jersusalem despite Israel's enemies. Ha Meshiach will come and redeem His people. Israel and the Jews who are faithful will see the glory foretold in the prophets. Never doubt, never loose faith. Obey Ha Torah and keep Ha Shabat holy and you can never fail. God is for you, therefore, who can be against you? No weapon devised by man can prosper against you. This is God's Word and it is true. Praise Him that He never leaves us nor foresakes us. This is the true comfort which He gives us. May He bless you as you do good to your fellow man.

(58)
Anonymous,
November 10, 2010 10:18 AM

There is a way

Daniel Chai's recovery brought tears to my eyes. It is proof that there is a way to bring HaShem's presence back to us. When I question,"What difference will my one effort make?" I'll remember the story of Daniel Chai.

(57)
sharona,
November 10, 2010 10:18 AM

excellent

great article, we should all do some introspection and think positively about our fellow Jews so that day will finally come.
One good practice is to give people the benefit of the doubt. Like if someone gives constructive criticism, we should see them as just trying to help.
And we should remember that we can each make a difference in achieving unity and bringing redemption

(56)
ralph,
November 10, 2010 10:17 AM

She gave me hope!

I hope the Temple is built soon,but more importantly I pray all mankind will love each other!

(55)
SassySarahRuth,
November 10, 2010 10:17 AM

Baseless Love...

It was 'sinat hinam' baseless hatred that was part of the reason for the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash the Holy Temple. It will take baseless love, Ahavat Yisrael, to rectify it and bring about the redemption. Let us all look in the mirror at ourselves and ask, "How can I love my fellow Jew more?"....Teshuvah-Change must begin in ourselves. Bezrat Hashem, may each one of us to do our part in loving our fellow Jews, let us unite with our commonalities, and trash the differences. Let this be our goal, there are so few of us, and this is G-d's will that we love each other, though we may agree to disagree sometimes.

(54)
Raisy,
November 10, 2010 10:16 AM

Obligation to love fellowJew is practiced by Torah observant Jews

The article is truly inspiring. As usual Sara Y.'s personal examples set the tone. I do take issue with the statement that "abortion rights Jews love Hassidic Jews, etc." Abortion-rights proponents are misguided and are not espousing a view sanctioned by Torah--the same Torah that commands us to love our fellow Jews. I'm not sure you can "equalize" their vantage point with the "vice versa". Hassidic Jews, ostensibly observant, who intend to follow G-d's laws can be 'expected' to extend love to their fellow Jews no matter how much they may disagree witht heir point of view. Ditto for non-observant Zionists; from whence their obligation to love...an obligation presumes there is an Obligator. When the Obligator is recognized and heeded then the expectation of love for others may follow...
May G-d strengthen our 'good eye' towards each other to see the good in our fellow man.

(53)
Eli Mallon,
November 10, 2010 10:16 AM

Tisha b'Av and love

I appreciated Ms. Rigler's article on Tisha b'Av, and the need for greater love -- especially within the Jewish community, because of our special role in the world. It reminded me of something written by Rabbi Morris Lichtenstein in 1925: "It is only when men [and women] will learn to give full expression to the divine power of love within them, that bloodshed will cease and war will be no more."

(52)
Anonymous,
November 10, 2010 10:15 AM

amazing

Thank you for the article and thank you for the book HOLY WOMAN- i cant put it down. if one wants to take something upon himself for the sake of G-d helping him perhaps by a miracle,
how can he know what to do. i know many of my friends have tried taking on numerous "mitzvos" inorder to speed up their process of marriage, and nothing seemed to of helped...
Is what you spoke about ( midda keneged midda) a rule that works everytime, or is it based on other factors as well.
Thanks for all your inspiration, you have brought tears to my eyes countless times.
p.s can you tell me of any classes during the 9 days(advanced) thanks again, Devorah

(51)
fred,
November 10, 2010 10:15 AM

A Few Problems

Thank you for a very moving description of the meaning of Tisha B'Av. I pray that we all come to understand our loss so much that we are all together this Tisha B'av in Jerusalem. But ...
Is "causeless love" of Gush Katif destroyers really the opposite of "causeless hatred"? Is strong and vocal disapproval, even hatred, of their actions, if not of them themselves, not only justfied but equally necessary? Should we gice the same respect to the views of Shimon Peres that we give to the views of Rav Kook? That will never get us there either.
I know that Ms. Rigler intended no such thing, but if taken to too great an extreme it sounds almost like Reconstructionism.

(50)
Anonymous,
November 10, 2010 10:14 AM

great

(49)
Elena Eremeeva,
November 10, 2010 10:14 AM

Thank you for great idea.

I am thankful to Mrs Sara Yoheved Rigler for this article and specially for the idea how to overcome our "natural" reactions by expecting of God's supernatural answers.
Thank you!
If there is anything we could read about those wonders and miracles which were mentioned in this article about the Temples, we would be thankful.
Specially we prepare to go to Jerusalem from the opposite side of the world, we want to know as much as possible!

(48)
Wayne,
November 10, 2010 10:13 AM

why love Jews?

I get really uneasy about these campaigns to have Jews do X so G-d will be obligated to do Y or Z.
Instead of Jews loving other Jews as a magic trick to obligate G-d to do something, how about loving other Jews because it's what G-d wants us to do, and it's the right thing to do?

(47)
Ruth Housman,
November 10, 2010 10:13 AM

We are all of us one, yet separate

Thank you for a deep, thoughtful article. I do believe that we are all in this together, meaning universe is ONE VERSE and that God is ONE, meaning Jews and non Jews alike are part of the family of man. In order to achieve lasting world peace we will have to realize this brotherhood and sisterhood. It's not just about being a Jew and honoring all things Jewish. I think it is about dishonoring intolerance of each other, wherever that occurs and even within factions of Judaism. I was once told I was no better than a swine. In fact all people attending a lecture given by an Orthodox Rabbi from Israel about free will and determinism, were suddenly, unexpectedly, included in this lecture. I didn't come to hear this, but the intolerant and judgmental words about any of us, that had to do with those who rode on Shabbat, who ate non kosher food, who did not worship in particular ways, struck me as more telling of the perspective of this Rabbi and for me, that his words no longer held any truths. The essential truth is about reverence and respect for diversity in all its forms. There is no human being who can judge another, deeply another, that heart that beats within. He was doing this in a sweeping and angry, hostile way.
So I am saying the message is LOVE but love of a different variety and I do believe the seeds of peace lie with the way we teach our children, to honor, to respect, and to listen first to another's story, and then attempt dialogue that is not judgmental but filled with the need to achieve a connection and not a disconnect. There are many ways to do mitzvot. The way to World Peace is to make of your life a masterpiece, to make of your life a Master Peace.

(46)
Bonnie Walter,
November 10, 2010 10:12 AM

Touched!

Your words have moved me and touched me spiritually. Thank you for sharing your insights and wisdom.

(45)
Anonymous,
November 10, 2010 10:12 AM

Beautiful

Brought tears to my eyes. Beautiful article.

(44)
Toshiro Momoi,
November 10, 2010 10:12 AM

How far is God?

I was touched by the fact that we are all humans and we have shortcomings. We sometimes spiritualize our lives by not admitting that we are after all, all humans.To say "I was wrong" diminishes our spirituality or what I am?I'm still in the process of learning what life is.Toshiro MomoiSao Paulo, Brazil

(43)
Anonymous,
November 10, 2010 10:11 AM

Hello Sara,
I want to let you know how very much I enjoyed your article on Bringing In G-d's Presence.
When my father passed away,I felf as you did:my world wasn"t the same without him.It took me a long time to adjust.
In addition to this,my father passed away on Tisha B'Av.He passed away in 1968 and I was only 19 years old.
He was a very special man.I didn't know that much about the significance of the holiday of Tisha B'Av bacause i was so young at the time and hadn't studied that much about it.
After having studied more over the years since my father's passing I have good understanding of this holiday and my father's yartzeit has a profound meaning for me.
Thank you for sharing,

(42)
yerachmiel putney,
November 10, 2010 10:10 AM

Thank you Mrs. Rigler

I was hoping that something would make me cry today. Your article on Daniel Chai brought me to tears. Thank you.

(41)
BEN,
November 10, 2010 10:10 AM

Well done on a fantastic article we must love each other

Even the secularoists in Israel who so hate the religious zionist camp, we must respond with love even to them when they say i hate you, we must respond i love you. Indeed in the Gush katif rally this is what occured instead of cursing the security forces , the people sang songs of love to them.
AM YISROEL CHAI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(40)
Lorren,
August 19, 2008 12:02 AM

I loved your article, thank you soo much for all that chiazuk!

Some things just go straight to the neshama, and this article did it!! Thank you for making Tisha Beav more real and meaningful. Thankyou for helping me work on my love for every jew, especially ppl that are just soo rude, im rly trying, and thankyou for helping me go against my nature, its such a hard thing to do, yet soo rewarding, could you please email me any articles you write? Thankyou
Lorren Gefen

(39)
shayne,
July 26, 2007 12:54 PM

very touching

this article was very touching..

a friend of mine's name is Daniel Chai [full name] .. jus found that weird

(38)
Allen,
July 24, 2007 1:25 PM

Even love has limits

There is such a thing as absolute right and wrong and to love people who are evil and do evil sounds nice but is wrong.

(37)
chami,
July 23, 2007 7:37 PM

You are the most soulful person that I have ever been privileged to meet. Thank you for all the depth and meaning you pour into your writings, so that the rest of us can taste the richness of life. Thank you, too, for giving us a practical way of implementing these deep concepts, giving us tools for change. May you continue to share your articles that are both powerful and inspirational and may we all merit to read them in rebuilt Jerusalem...our people united ...finally.

(36)
Michael B,
July 23, 2007 3:46 PM

MAGINIFICENT

This was a very well written unbelievable and touching story. I cant wait to share this with others-- I loved the way you portrayed G-ds "leaving" and the Daniel Chai example

(35)
Anonymous,
July 22, 2007 1:56 AM

This particular description of what the loss of the Temple really meant, is the one that made it so clear to me, when others seemed to but didn't quite reach.It's the essay by Sara Yoheved Rigler, titled Tisha B'Av, Waking up to a World Without G-d's presence.I'd read it before, and it had given me a way to explain it to my son too, the physical signs that used to exist for the average person, gone. This time I'm making sure to save the essay so I can refer back.

(34)
Anonymous,
July 22, 2007 1:41 AM

shalom........!! I must say I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article by Mrs. Rigler..It is so very true, as my friends and I have thought about this many times...........wonderful!

(33)
Rev. Linda Petty,
July 18, 2007 9:39 PM

Simply beautiful

Thank you for blessing me with your poignant story and profound spiritual insight.Linda Petty

(32)
Shaindy,
July 18, 2007 9:24 PM

Wow!

This is the most powerful article I've read on the subject of Tisha B'Av. Thank you for bringing whats important into focus. As usual in your friendly, frank and profound manner.

(31)
Anonymous,
July 17, 2007 4:33 AM

I appreciated Ms. Rigler's article on Tisha b'Av, and the need for greater love -- especially within the Jewish community, because of our special role in the world. It reminded me of something written by Rabbi Morris Lichtenstein in 1925: "It is only when men [and women] will learn to give full expression to the divine power of love within them, that bloodshed will cease and war will be no more."

(30)
Leah Angerman,
July 16, 2007 2:17 PM

Thank you for your powerful article

Dear Mrs. Rigler, Thank you for your powerful article. Your writing literally gave me goose bumps and helped me to really think and actualize what Tisha B'av is, what we are lacking, and what to work on to try to get the Jewish people back to a level where we are worthly of seeing the 3rd Temple. Thank you for ability to relate to this difficult topic on a personal level and for showing your realness and the struggles- that we all experience- and your process of trying to overcome it in order to achieve what we want to achieve. May H-shem continue to give you the gift of writing, educating others, and being able to overcome your struggles, and achieve the goals and teachings that you teach and strive for. Thank you again! May we all overcome our struggles and merit to see the 3rd and final Beit HaMikdash soon! Sincerly, Leah A.

(29)
BETTY MCCAIN,
August 18, 2005 12:00 AM

TODAY TISHA B'AV AUG 28 2005, AV 13

JEWISH SETTLERS IN GAZA EVICTED FROM THIER HOMES, MORE TRAGEDY AND WHEN THIER CHILDREN WAKE IN THE MORNING IN SOME STRANGE HOME THAT THEY ARE UNACCUSTOMED TO, THEY ALONG WITH THIER PARENTS WILL FEEL SUCH A DEEP LOSS. THE 9TH OF AV ONCE AGAIN REARS IT'S UGLY HEAD FOR THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND FOR THE WORLD SHALOM

(28)
Anonymous,
August 14, 2005 12:00 AM

Causeless love, I think the greatest love there is

I read your article and am deeply moved. It struck a chord in me, even though I am not Jewish. A friend of mine (who is Jewish)send me this article. It is true that for ourselves we may not be able to overcome our nature, but we can for this reason, the most important one of all, to bring the Divine presence back into the world. I thanked my friend and now you for teaching me more about Tisha B'Av. I knew a little about it before and now a little more. I continue learning.

(27)
Anonymous,
August 14, 2005 12:00 AM

I was inspired

I was inspired to do a nother mitzva for each sick person on my list of sick people.

(26)
kay uribe,
August 14, 2005 12:00 AM

I share with you the same pain associated with March 9 pain--on that day in 1978, my mother died suddenly. I was 10. I won't go into the details of what losing her meant. What is important is that we help to reverse the pain of Tish B'Av, and teach our children this. Life without fully experiencing the Divine Presence is worse than any human loss! He has given us the ability and the choice to seek him. We so often choose not to. Thank you for sharing.

(25)
Jody Steinberg,
August 14, 2005 12:00 AM

This was a beautiful article.

(24)
Anonymous,
August 13, 2005 12:00 AM

So much heartfelt emotions when it comes to reading this poignant article. Thank you for this.

(23)
Yisroel,
August 12, 2005 12:00 AM

Another regal Rigler article!

(22)
SaraFeiga,
August 12, 2005 12:00 AM

Just Beautiful!

What an apropos analogy! You really made clear the loss we mourn on Tisha B'Av!...And the rectification seems SO simple- we could ALL manage to accomplish SOMETHING towards bringing about the unification of our people.
Thank you for a BEAUTIFUL essay!

(21)
Anonymous,
August 11, 2005 12:00 AM

Very inspirational piece.

(20)
maurizio fornari,
August 11, 2005 12:00 AM

an article deep and moving written with intelligence and heart;only a woman can have this ability of communicate

(19)
Anonymous,
August 9, 2005 12:00 AM

Thank you for your article...

Sara, it illuminates the real reason to pay attention to this holy day. The only thing missing...a listing of all ten miracles that were ever present in the Temple days. Perhaps your next article...! Thank you again and have a nice day.

(18)
Kay Jordan,
August 9, 2005 12:00 AM

Divine Presence

Your article indicates your desire to bring back the Divine Presence - possibly by rebuilding the Temple. Is that really going to happen? I pray that Israel will rebuild the Temple soon. The world needs the Divine Presence.

(17)
y'hoshua halevi,
August 9, 2005 12:00 AM

that's it!!

ms. rigler, baruch H' you did it again. a beautiful and inspirational piece that is truly "mima'akim k'raticah" out of the depths (ps. 130). how incredibly helpful that you showed "when we want G-d to go beyond nature we must go beyond our own nature". and, one way to do that is by taking on a mitzva we haven't done before. so, when we feel we need G-d to go "beyond", we are actually being called to go beyond...beyond what we think we are capable of. even if it's one thing, one mitzva. the main thing here is that, b'ezrat H', you showed us that having the intention to go beyond where we are, what we perceive, can give us the opening needed for goodness, healing etc.
thank you for all your wonderful pieces and may you continue, yasher koach!!

(16)
lynn finson,
August 9, 2005 12:00 AM

touching

I found this article very appropriate for these difficult days.Our hearts need to be touched by experiences like "Daniel Chai." Thank you.

(15)
Devorah,
August 9, 2005 12:00 AM

What an article!

Every sentence tugs at my heart strings. I feel that you have really voiced why we mourn on Tisha B'av and why we should strive to bring the Divine Presence back into our lives. I know that if we all work together, nothing is impossible to achieve!

(14)
Anonymous,
August 8, 2005 12:00 AM

thank you

Thank you for articulating so beautifully what we all are dealing with in these difficult times - both the struggles and the hope.

(13)
Menashe,
August 8, 2005 12:00 AM

Mrs. Rigler -- Par Excellence

An absolutely amazing article--as always!!

(12)
Anonymous,
August 8, 2005 12:00 AM

Are we echoes of Temple days and prophecy??

When all we Jews love and care and respect one another.. maybe the Temple will be rebuilt.. and the Messiah will make himself known....

(11)
HK,
August 8, 2005 12:00 AM

thank you

Absolutely amazing. Thank you.

(10)
Shaindy,
August 8, 2005 12:00 AM

Thank you for a beautiful & touching article!

Thank you for helping me live & feel the real meaning of the "churban" -- destruction. I have never read an article as touching...and enlightning in a very real way. You have really brought the message "home". A heartfelt thank you!

(9)
Yocheved Aron,
August 8, 2005 12:00 AM

Your beautifully written article is so timely. By your examples, you show each of us how we can reach beyond ourselves towards the Divine Presence which is waiting for us.
Yocheved Aron

(8)
Anonymous,
August 8, 2005 12:00 AM

this was a very moving message.
there is a lot to learn from examples. hope to be able to apply the experinse in the future.

(7)
Anonymous,
August 7, 2005 12:00 AM

That was one of the most beautifully written articles I have ever read. It really made this time period of mourning so real to me. Thank you so much

(6)
Sylvia TF Quinn,
August 7, 2005 12:00 AM

Yes! WE CAN DO IT!

I for one will pray for all our people to think and feel peaceful thoughts to quell the existing horror that is so easily described as "War". If everyone would just realize, "We don't need war, we need love and understanding" OHHH what that would do. Thank you for writing that very, very, thought provoking article. We need more people like you with your beautiful soul to bring His essence back to us.

(5)
raye,
August 7, 2005 12:00 AM

God is alive and well but are we the same?

A number of years ago, I wrote an essay in my journal titled "God is alone again." I don't remember the occasion that precipitated this feeling.
Tonight, as I do every Sunday evening with a group of women, say all the Tehillim on behalf of the sick, the singles, and for Israel. If all the Jews would do the same, we would wake up to a World with God's Presence now, when we need Him most.

(4)
zehava,
August 7, 2005 12:00 AM

Along with this important message you have given to us you have also given some tools to help us implement these messages

(3)
Adam Neira,
August 7, 2005 12:00 AM

A Plan to Build the House for All Nations

Who said G-d's presence is not here right now on Planet Earth ?

Maybe there is a workable plan to build the Third Temple in peace, that exists right now on Planet Earth.

Anyone want to help me ?

(2)
Deena,
August 7, 2005 12:00 AM

So Touching

Mrs. Rigler,

This is one of the most touching articles I have ever read. So beautifully written. It really touched me.

Thank you,
Deena

(1)
Anonymous,
August 7, 2005 12:00 AM

So True!

I think it is a wonderful article,
I wish everyone would realise the importance of contributing by changing their attitudes.